Abby Howells, Angella Dravid and Melanie Bracewell the 2025 Fred Award nominees
Lauren Whitney, chief executive of the New Zealand Comedy Trust, said in a statement: 'Abby, Angella, and Melanie have each carved out careers defined by creativity, courage, and comedic brilliance. To see them all nominated for The Fred this year and to mark the first all-wāhine finalist lineup, is an incredible moment for comedy in Aotearoa.'
It is also the first time that three previous winners of the Billy T Award - which is awarded to the best up-and-coming comedian in the festival - have made up the nominees.
Dravid won the award in 2017, followed by Bracewell in 2018, and Howells won in 2023. They join six other female winners of the prize, which notably went a decade without being awarded to a female comedian.
Dravid is nominated for her show, I'm Happy For You, a darkly comic exploration of some of the darker times in her life.
Howells has received the nomination for Welcome to My Dream, a show where she tackled her experiences with fame after winning the Billy T Award, as well as many of the relationships in her life.
Bracewell has been nominated for A Little Treat, which uses an experience attending Australia's netball awards to unpack her recent ADHD diagnosis.
Dravid and Bracewell are also both previous winners of Taskmaster NZ, winning the first and fourth seasons respectively, while Howells was a contestant on the fifth season.
Other previous winners of the Fred Award include Guy Montgomery, Eli Matthewson, Chris Parker, two-time winner Dai Henwood, and last year's winners, Barnie Duncan and Trygve Wakenshaw.
The Billy T Award will also be awarded tomorrow night. The nominees this year are David Stuart, Hoani Hotene, Itay Dom, Lesa MacLeod-Whiting, and double act Jak Darling & Booth the Clown.
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